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The health ministry on Friday morning reported that a significant number of people who had COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, have recovered. On Thursday evening, the ministry had reported that 43 people who were confirmed to have the disease had recovered or been discharged. On Friday morning, this number rose to 67. The confirmed active cases of the disease rose by just seven overnight, taking the total to 640, according to the ministry.

As of Friday evening, 724 people with COVID-19 were reported by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. Of this, 640 people currently have the infection and the rest are people who have recovered, have been discharged or have died.

The US now has the maximum number of people infected with the new coronavirus infection; 16,000 more people tested positive for the first time on Thursday alone. As many as 85,653 people in the US now have COVID-19, followed by 81,782 in China and 80,589 in Italy. At least 1,290 people in America have died due to the coronavirus infection so far.

Globally, the confirmed number of people infected by the disease continues to rise at alarming levels, with the total number crossing the half a million mark. On Thursday, over 62,000 new instances were reported, the highest in a single day. The previous highest was just under 50,000, reported on Wednesday.

Patient count rises to 147

With 12 people in Sangli testing positive for coronavirus, the total number of patients in Maharashtra rose to 147 on Friday, an increase of 17 within a day, health officials said.

Earlier in the day, four persons tested positive for COVID-19 in Nagpur and another in Gondia, both in eastern Maharashtra.

On March 3, Johnson had boasted of shaking hands with coronavirus patients. A clip is below:

Boris Johnson boasting about shaking hands with coronavirus patients. You could not make it up. Britain is about to learn the hard way this is not the man to lead us in a crisis.pic.twitter.com/mgg8TL8zKh

The Centre has extended the restrictions placed on commercial domestic air travel until April 14, when the three-week national lockdown is scheduled to end. The Ministry of Civil Aviation had earlier suspended domestic air travel until the end of this month.

Kejriwal to participate in COVID-19 video conference

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal will participate in a global meeting of city leaders, which will be held via video conference, to share lessons in fighting the coronavirus pandemic. The conference is being organised by C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group.

With five more persons testing positive for the coronavirus infection in the Vidarbha region of Maharashtra, the total number of COVID-19 patients in the state went up to 135 on Friday.

Of the five, four were identified in Nagpur city and another one in Gondia district.

On Thursday, eight persons had tested positive in the state.

Ward boy at Bihar hospital gets infection

A 20-year-old man who worked as a ward boy at a private hospital in Bihar has tested positive after he came into contact with a COVID-19 patient.

The man had come in contact with a 38-year-old man from Munger district, the first patient in the state to have the viral infection. He died at AIIMS, Patna last week, before his test results confirmed that he had COVID-19. Before this, he was admitted to the private hospital situated in Khemnichak locality of Patna, which has since been sealed. The ward boy was employed there.

With the latest case, Bihar has now reported seven confirmed cases of the viral infection.

The district administration ordered all doctors, nurses and other staff of the private hospital to be quarantined. Samples of 13 people working there were sent for testing and only the ward boy, who is from Jaganpura area of the city, was positive.

Efforts are being made on to trace other staff members of the private hospital, who will be quarantined as a precautionary measure and their samples will be sent for testing.

Notably, Bihar had reported zero coronavirus cases until Sunday, when the deceased patient from Munger tested positive. He had returned from Qatar, where he worked as a welder. A female resident of the city, also admitted to AIIMS, Patna, tested positive on the same day.

There has been a spike in the number of cases since then, with seven persons testing positive in less than a week, news agency PTI reported.

60-year-old man in Bhilwara dies

A 60-year-old man, who had tested positive for the coronavirus infection in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara, has died due to comorbid conditions, an official said on Friday. The patient had heart and kidney-related ailments and had visited a private hospital in Bhilwara where doctors and nursing staff were first found coronavirus positive.

“The patient died on Thursday night. Doctors have attributed the death to his comorbid conditions,” additional chief secretary (health) Rohit Kumar Singh said.

Two people having tested for the coronavirus infection in the state have died due to comorbid conditions. A total of 43 confirmed cases have been found in Rajasthan so far, which was put under lockdown on March 22.

US now has highest confirmed cases

The US now has the most confirmed cases of the coronavirus infection, after a startling 16,000 new infections were reported in a single day on Thursday. It now has 85,653 confirmed COVID-19 cases, followed by China with 81,782 and Italy with 80,589.

On Thursday, the country also reported 263 deaths due to the contagion. At least 1,290 Americans have died due to the coronavirus infection so far.

According to news agency PTI, over 2,000 people with the disease are in serious condition. The number of confirmed cases as well as the deaths due to COVID-19 are likely to increase substantially in the coming days, the agency said.

US President Donald Trump attributed the spike in the confirmed cases to the large-scale testing of the deadly disease. “I think it’s a tribute to our testing,” he said, adding “no one knows what the numbers are in China”.

China bans foreigners from entering the country

China, the epicentre of the coronavirus pandemic, on Thursday reported an increase in the number of ‘imported cases’ of the infection in the country. More than 50 imported cases were reported on Friday and the country also announced a ban on foreigners entering the country.

In recent weeks China has reported a dramatic fall in new confirmed cases, saying only a handful of domestic patients have been identified each day. According to news agency AFP, there were another 55 new infections in China on Friday, of which just one was local.

On Thursday, the country announced it will reduce the number of international flights, limiting the capacity on board to 75%, and imposing a ban on foreigners entering China.

Flights in and out of China will also be capped at just one route a week to each country, including for international airlines.

Medical workers wear protective suits to attend to people sickened by the novel coronavirus, in the intensive care unit of a designated hospital in Wuhan, China, on Feb. 6. (China Daily/Reuters)

Health minister holds review meeting

In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, Union health minister Harsh Vardhan on Thursday asked states and Union Territories to implement community surveillance effectively with focus on international travellers who have come to India in the past month.

He issued the directions during a meeting that was held over a video conference with state health ministers, chief secretaries and health officials to review the actions taken for COVID-19 management.

News agency PTI reported that the Union minister asked authorities to start a helpline for those under quarantine so that they can reach out to psychologists. Vardhan advised the states and union territories to explore and request retired doctors to volunteer for COVID-19-related work proactively.

Health officials have been asked to conduct random verification of those under home quarantine and take action against violators.

UK reports more than 100 deaths in 24-hour period

Britain on Thursday recorded more than 100 deaths due to COVID-19 in a 24-hour period for the first time. During that period, 115 people who have the disease died.

“As of 5pm (1700 GMT) on 25 March 2020, 578 patients in the UK who tested positive for coronavirus (COVID-19) have died,” said the official government website, up from 463 on Wednesday.